from Mohsen:

Majid jan I read this poem 2 times and once again  proves that crimes of Islamic Regime
is much deeper than what we know.  I will send it to friends.

Thanks
 

from Hugh:

Thanks, Majid. Poignant and powerful. Blessings for Ezzat.

Best regards,

from Fereidoun Farahandouz:

So sad yet so pure.

from Fred:

Absolutely beautiful, majid. and i feel for you, as well!!!! i love your claim that the witnesses write the history, not the victors. Only a poet would say this this, don't you think? Only a poet can be be able to judge AND to seek and fight for meaning!

Hannah Arendt i think finally decided it was the poets more than Kant's arguments and principles upon whom judgment relied.

You ought to explore this concept more, perhaps in prose. Ezzat is dead. and for heaven's sake, your love. But your witness lives. What does that mean for the issue? So complex. So rich.

Of course perhaps more poems. But also prose. 

To you!

x

from Mehdy:

Merci majid jan was very nice. If you could mentioned how many years that passed after her execution until one witness appeared, it would make the poem more effective. 

from Sharyn:

Your grief is still so fresh and strong that I feel the pain in my heart.  Yes, we should listen to those who witness!

from Jason: 

This is beautiful, Majid. Thank you for sending it to me.

from Azad:

Hey Dad,

This is a very sad but beautiful poem. Thank you for sending me it. I love you.

Best

Mitra wrote about Ezzat on her facebook on June 9, 2020 in Persian. I asked her to translate it into English. Below you may read both versions of her note. Majid

It was the first month of winter 1982, Ezzat entered Evin from joint committee (Committe Moshtarek or 3000 Prison). They sent her to room number 6 in 246 ward which I was there too. Ezzat was skinny and very delicate with short hair, beautiful smile and had sweet accent of Isfahan. She was wearing a checkered shirt and gray skirt with stretch pants which was the regular clothes of 3000 prisoners. She was very nice and friendly with gentle behavior. After a few days she was called by speaker to go out of the ward with all her stuff. We all knew she is going to leave us forever. All of us gathered around her, singing the songs with the eyes full of tears. “Tonight I have a dream so big and loud” “Tonight I have a light in my heart”…or “At the neighbor of my love, Life is beautiful, my love” in the middle of this song had to sing “I call Nesa, I call Nesa” “my dear Nesa” Nesa is a Persian female name but we switched Nesa to Ezzat. I call Ezzat…We all were standing near the door of the room with so much tears in our eyes. I was trying choked back the tears but I was looking at Ezzat and could not stop myself and was wishing at least scream out loud but was not a chance for that. But Ezzat was trying to change the atmosphere just for other prisoners. That just could arise from someone’s big heart and dignity at the last and sensitive moments of her life. She said: would you mind singing a song for me? We were looking at her and just waiting to see what she was asking. First, she smiled and told everyone not to cry anymore and said: please sing “sher sher” before I go. “Sher sher” was a childish and funny song for kids and the real name of this song is “A Bad Kid” that we were always singing together to break the heavy atmosphere in order to change everybody’s mood. One day I saw a rude kid... he shocked me terribly  ….he was cleaning his hands with his pants…and the funniest part of this song was where it said: I woke up one night for a bad dream... I saw a camel... I was not scared…but my mattress got wet for the rain, sher sher sher…. Ezzat was laughing while she was singing with us. We hugged and kissed her one by one and accompanied her as slow as we could to the main door of our ward. She walked out then turned and smiled and shook her hand and left us forever.

I will never forget her beautiful smile. Ezzat tabaian was Majid Naficy’s wife from peykar organization. Several members of her husband’s family were arrested and executed before and after the revolution in 1979. Her memory will always remain with me.


دی ماه سال ۶۰ عزت را از کمیته مشترک به اوین و اتاق ما آوردند. عزت دانشجو بود دختری لاغر اندام و بسیار ظریف با موهای کوتاه، لهجه شیرین اصفهانی و لبخندی همیشه بر لب. به شدت آروم و متانت خاصی در رفتارش داشت. چند روزی از ورودش به اوین نگذشته بود که در یک بعد از ظهر ۱۷ دی ۱۳۶۰ نام او را از بلندگو خواندند که با کلیه وسایل برود. پیراهن چهارخانه پوشیده بود با دامن طوسی و شلوار گرمکن مخصوص کمیته مشترک. بچه‌ها در حالیکه اشک میریختند با صدای بغض الود ترانه میخواندند "امشب در سر شوری دارم..." "سر کوی دوست جانم..." نزدیک در اتاق ایستاده بودیم و همه آنقدر بغض در گلو داشتیم که احساس خفگی میکردیم و هر چه اشک میریختیم باز بغض در گلو تنها فریادی جگر خراش میطلبید که مجالی برایش نبود. عزت وقتی حال و روز بچه‌ها رو دید، گفت: حالا می‌شه یه چیزی من بخوام بخونید؟ همه نگاه‌ها فقط به عزت بود که میخندید و به همه میگفت گریه نکنید. گفت می‌شه خواهش کنم به عنوان آخرین ترانه شرر شرر و بخونید؟ شرر شرر آواز کودکانه ی بود که اغلب برای شکستن جو سنگین آنجا همه دسته جمعی می‌خواندیم، یه روزی یه بچه ی دیدم..همونجا سر جام خشکیدم...دستهای کثیفشو...با لباسش تمیز میکرد...قسمت بامزه این ترانه آنجا بود که میگفت یه شب من از خواب پریدم..شتر دیدم نترسیدم...ولی تو جام بارون اومد شرر شرر شرر...عزت از بچه‌ها خواست این ترانه را بخوانند برای تغییر جو و روحیه بچه ها. خودش هم میخندید و همه باهم می‌خواندیم. همه او را یکی یکی در آغوش کشیدیم و بوسیدیم و با قدمهای کند  را تا در اصلی بند بدرقه کردیم. نگهبان در را باز کرد وقتی عزت اخارج شد برگشت و نگاهی به ما انداخت در حالیکه لبخند میزد دستش را برایمان تکان داد و برای همیشه ما را ترک کرد.  

هیچ زمان چهره خندان او و روحیه کم نظیرش رو فراموش نخواهم کرد. عزت طباییان همسر مجید نفیسی بود و وابسته به سازمان پیکار. چندین نفر از اعضائ خانواده همسرش قبل و بعد از انقلاب نیز دستگیر یا اعدام شدند یاد عزیزش همواره با ما باقی خواهد ماند

 

There are several versions of the "Bad Kid" song online which were sung in different political prisoners in Iran in 1980s. Here is one of them >>> here's one

Majid Naficy 

from Lillian Boraks Nemetz;

Yes, “the witnesses write history”
Your poem is the witness .
Listen to poets, they know.
They, too are the witnesses.

Beautiful poem, Majid.
All the best
Lillian

from Nayereh:

Majid, this is simply beautiful, poignant and thoughtful. It brought tears to my eyes. Bravo to Ezzat and to you; Love Never Dies!

Shame on those who killed so many loving activists.
I tries to post something, it did not submit.

Best,
Nayereh

from Nora:

Majid jaan,

Losing Ezzat and all those young, dedicated,  fearless beautiful souls still hurts incredibly.

They will be forever loved and remembered.